Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has reaffirmed its decision to use the online auction system for renting firecracker stalls during Diwali, brushing aside mounting pressure to return to the offline bidding process.
The civic administration has announced tenders for 194 stalls across 13 locations, covering the jurisdiction of nine regional offices. The expected revenue from this tender process is projected to be approximately ₹16.54 lakh.
This decision comes after widespread complaints regarding the unfair practices associated with the offline auction process. Traditionally, the PMC rents out spaces for firecracker vendors during Diwali, with prime locations near Vartak Garden along the riverside being highly sought after.
In previous years, when the offline auction was in place, local leaders allegedly used coercion and intimidation to manipulate the bidding process, deterring smaller vendors from participating. Vendors who attempted to place bids were reportedly threatened, leading to significant unrest within the PMC.
In response to these issues, the PMC introduced the online auction system in 2023. The new system proved to be a financial success, generating an impressive ₹85 lakh in revenue for the corporation.
Bidding for some stalls, which initially had a rent set at ₹25,000, soared to ₹2 lakh during the online auction, indicating the competitiveness and transparency of the process.
However, this change was not well-received by politically connected vendors, who found the new system to be less advantageous. As a result, there was significant pressure on the PMC to revert to offline auctions this year, a move that was rejected by the administration.
For the 2024 Diwali season, the PMC will allocate 35 stalls near Vartak Garden with a base rent of ₹25,155 per stall. Bidding will begin at this amount and is expected to rise.
Additionally, stalls will be rented out across several other regions, including 9 in Kondhwa-Yewalewadi, 30 in Hadapsar-Mundhwa, 5 in Yerawada-Kalas-Dhanori, 5 in Kothrud-Bavdhan, 30 in Dhankawadi-Sahakarnagar, 5 on Sinhagad Road, 40 in Nagar Road-Vadgaon Sheri, 10 in Aundh-Baner, and 20 in Warje-Karvenagar.
Hadapsar-Mundhwa and Dhankawadi-Sahakarnagar regions will have stalls at two separate locations each.